assateague-channel

Chincoteague Pony Swim

Wild ponies swim across the Assateague Channel during the annual swim Virginia on July 27. Said to be the descendants of Spanish horses that swam ashore after a shipwreck, the ponies draw large crowds to the area each year. During the Pony Penning, the horses swim across the channel from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island at slack tide when there’s no current and swimming is easiest. The first pony that reaches shore is dubbed King or Queen Neptune and given away to a lucky ticketholder at the next day’s auctions.

Chincoteague Ponies swim across Assateague Channel in a heavy downpour on Wednesday, July 24, 2013 during the 88th Annual Chincoteague Pony Swim in Chincoteague, Va. A portion of the herd will be auctioned on Thursday. (AP Photo/Eastern Shore News, Jay Diem)